1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, and a cartridge attachable to and detachable from the image forming apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
The present invention relates to an electrophotographic image forming apparatus and a process cartridge (hereinafter, referred to as “cartridge”) attachable to and detachable from the electrophotographic image forming apparatus. Herein, the electrophotographic image forming apparatus (hereinafter, referred to as “image forming apparatus”) forms an image on a recording material (recording medium) using an electrophotographic image forming process. Examples of the image forming apparatus include a printer such as a laser beam printer, a light-emitting diode (LED) printer, and the like, a copying machine, a facsimile apparatus, a word processor, and a multifunction printer of the aforementioned devices.
Conventionally, in an image forming apparatus using an electrophotographic image forming process, a process cartridge system in which a cartridge is attachable to and detachable from a main body of the image forming apparatus has been employed. The process cartridge system can simplify maintenance of the image forming apparatus by forming an electrophotographic photosensitive drum (hereinafter, referred to as “photosensitive drum”) and a process unit that acts on the photosensitive drum, integrally into a cartridge.
In such a cartridge system, a main body electrode portion of the main body of the image forming apparatus and an electrical contact portion of the process cartridge are brought into contact with each other in a state where the cartridge is mounted onto the main body of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus. Accordingly, units to be conducted such as the electrophotographic photosensitive drum and the process unit are electrically connected with the main body of the image forming apparatus. Accordingly, process steps such as charging of the photosensitive drum and development with a developer bearing member, ground connection of the electrophotographic photosensitive drum, detection of a remaining toner amount with electrostatic capacitance, and the like become possible.
Here, as an example of the electrical contact portion of the process cartridge, a method for injecting a conductive resin into a gap between a frame of the cartridge and a mold closely attached to the frame and releasing the mold to form the electrical contact portion integrally with the frame is known (for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-63750).